1. The Weather In SoCal Is For People, In NorCal It’s For Penguins

Source: Flickr user chad_k

Obviously. You can’t argue with science. If you like perfect temperatures and endless sun, SoCal takes the prize. Seriously, even NorCal fanatics will admit that the 75-average and sunshine just about every day (seriously) is a no-brainer over the wet and often freezing mountains and valleys up north.
The fabulous weather in SoCal lends itself to lazy beach days even in December, whereas swimming in Northern Cali almost any time of year is for penguins and Polar Plunge events. And speaking of beaches...

I’m not saying you won’t find gorgeous photo ops at beaches in NorCal like Carmel, Half Moon Bay and Monterey. But they’re not the “get a tan and watch the waves roll in while sipping a margarita” beaches. They’re rugged, unkempt, enter-at-your-own-risk patches of sand. You might not even find a public restroom.
Southern Cali has beaches so gorgeous and welcoming they’ve all got their own resort towns to match. Laguna Beach, Santa Monica, La Jolla, Catalina Island, and Coronado are only a few of the stunning examples. Huntington Beach is “Surf City USA,” for crying out loud. Well-maintained and glamorous, intended to be as attractive as possible, they’re as good as it gets.

3. SoCal People Actually Bother To Say Hello On The Street

Source: Visit San Diego Facebook page

Most people think SoCal people are all shallow and obsessed with looks, money and looks. News flash—they’re way more approachable than people in NorCal.
Sure, you’ve heard the same talk over and over about how the “earthy” people of the Bay Area and North are chill, easygoing hippies—open, honest, and friendly. Well, those guys must be doing the advertising, because while those “open” and “easygoing” principles exist, but with an unmistakable air of pretention and judgment.
And sure, people in SoCal are concerned with appearances and money. But they’re frank about it rather than pretending they’re above it and are quick to accept people of different styles and walks of life. And if their lifestyle isn’t “cool” enough for you, they don’t care.

4. The SoCal Economy Has Everything, And NorCal Has... Facebook?

Source: Wikipedia user Eric Nelson

Northern Cali’s claim to fame is the admittedly impressive Silicon Valley, but come on, it really is the region’s only industry to speak of. The economy in SoCal, however, knows how to diversify its billion-dollar industries and enterprises:
-Entertainment (Hollywood’s been around about 50 years more than Silicon Valley, just by the way)
-Surfing with the aforementioned epic beaches (to the tune of a billion dollars a year, dude!)
-Sports franchises and competitions like the U.S. Open of Surfing Huntington Beach, the X Games, and even yacht races
-And yes, SoCal even has its own tech industry that’s nothing to sneeze at. They actually call West L.A. “Silicon Beach!”

5. NorCal Is SoCal’s Uglier, Less Fashionable Sibling

Source: Wikipedia user Shavar Ross

And I don’t mean auditions.
There are plenty of ways to find excitement in NorCal, sure—but you’d be hard-pressed to find any famous faces, hot nightlife, or a mention of the latest film, album or fashion line.
When you think of the word “glamour,” tell me you don’t immediately think of Los Angeles and Hollywood. Well, there’s a reason. People still move to SoCal to be discovered. People still go there to see celebrities. There’s money and hustle and bustle everywhere.
You’ll see the latest fashions on Rodeo Drive, the brightest stars strolling on vacay in San Diego, and wait months for a table at the hottest, latest restaurant. SoCal is the VIP room of California, and NorCal is where you end up at if they won’t let you in.

6. SoCal Welcomes Everybody, No Matter What They Wear

Source: Los Angeles - discoverLA.com Facebook page

You may think that the “peace, love, and macramé” of the North would offer a more diverse population. But in truth that politically-correct nature of the North does nothing to invite very many walks of life.
Looking for some great people-watching? Head south.
Foods and culture of every flavor? Head south to find everything from Ethiopian to Pakistani.
A place where you can don a superhero costume at the beach without judgment? Totally acceptable in SoCal, man.
It’s not a mystery why people from every walk of life end up in SoCal. Everyone wants to be where the weather is perfect. Everyone wants to make it big. Everyone wants to to see and be seen somewhere in LaLa Land. Up North everyone just wants to be with other people like them.

7. You Can Actually Buy Food After Paying Your Rent In SoCal

Source: Failblog

You probably think of Southern Cali as a pretty wallet-gouging area to live in, considering all the movie stars and other celebrities who call it home.
So then would you be surprised to know that Northern California is actually more expensive, from actual home values to municipal taxes? Well, it is. You may wave your hands and argue, wait, what about L.A. itself? Surely it’s more expensive to live in L.A. than San Francisco, right.
So, so wrong. The average price of homes in San Francisco is about $850,000 compared with an average price of $500,000 for L.A. Mind. Blown.
Of course, both areas are still ridiculously overpriced, no argument there. But talk about the (way) lesser of two evils.

8. SoCal Mexican Food Is More Than Just A Pile Of Rice And Beans

Source: Flickr user Doran

Any SoCal local will tell you the truth about where the best Mexican food is: It's right where they’re standing. But can they back it up as to why?
Yes sir. Everyone knows local food made with recipes straight from the source always tastes better, which makes SoCal the undisputed champion. More Mexicans who are actually directly from Mexico are making your food.
And SoCal's proximity to the homeland of all that food we know and love gives the cuisine the following: Fresher tortillas made the right way, better avocados (there’s all that sun, dude!), and most importantly, the absence of excessive rice and beans to fill the tacos or burritos that ruins the taste—and seems to get more and more common as you head further up north.

9. Life Moves Pretty Fast In SoCal, And NorCal Is Just Missing It

Source: Flickr user photographerglen

Life in SoCal is in fact, more flashy and exciting (see above) and there are approximately double the people living there per capita as Northern Cali, so naturally people like to move fast.
And SoCal accommodates the lifestyle perfectly. While you’ll find lanes of slow-moving traffic in the North winding around mountainous, narrow terrain (often with cars driven by pretentious Prius drivers), in Southern Cali the freeways are nice and wide and meant for lots of movers and shakers who like to go fast. And they do.
I’m not saying there’s never traffic in SoCal. That would be naive. But it just makes sense. More space means more chances to catch that need for speed. Your move, NorCal.

10. SoCal People Cheer At Basketball And Hockey Games, And In NorCal They Cry

Source: Flickr user woollenium

It’s true… tell me it isn’t.
Consider the SoCal teams everyone gets excited about: The Lakers, the Ducks, and the Kings. All with a raving fan base—why? Because they’re all winners. In contrast (but still, somehow, with a ranting fan base?) teams like the Sharks and Warriors are, well, meh.
And I’m not just giving my opinion here: SoCal statistically puts out more winners in the NBA and NHL than NorCal. Lakers? More championships than I can count, but most recently 2010, 2009, 2002, and 2001. The Warriors? One championship. In 1975.
The Anaheim Ducks and Los Angeles Kings? Both teams won championships in the last seven years. The San Jose Sharks won in… oh, wait.
Maybe it’s all that fake “everyone's a winner” mentality in NorCal that slows them down...

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